SEOUL (AFP) – North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island on Tuesday, killing one person, setting homes ablaze and triggering an exchange of fire as the South’s military went on top alert.
In what appeared to be one of the most serious border incidents since the 1950-53 war, South Korean troops fired back with cannon, the government convened in an underground war room and “multiple” air force jets scrambled. The firing came after North Korea’s disclosure of an apparently operational uranium enrichment programme — a second potential way of building a nuclear bomb — which is causing serious alarm for the United States and its allies.
Some 50 shells landed on the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong near the tense Yellow Sea border, damaging dozens of houses and sending plumes of thick smoke into the air, YTN television reported. One South Korean marine — part of a contingent based permanently on the frontline island — was killed and 13 other marines were wounded, the military said. YTN said two civilians were also hurt.
“A Class-A military alert issued for battle situations was imposed immediately after shelling began,” a military spokesman said. he shelling began at 2:34 pm (0534 GMT) after the North sent several messages protesting about South Korean naval, air force and army training exercises being staged close to the border, a presidential spokesman said.
“Flashes along with a thunderous sound were seen here and there across our villages and up to 10 houses were engulfed in flames,” said Woo Soo-Woo, 62, a guesthouse owner on the island. The shooting started bushfires at several places in the hills, he told AFP by phone after fleeing the island by ferry for the mainland port of Incheon.
“Frightened villagers rushed to nearby shelters while others were busy running away and crowded the port to escape,” Woo said, adding about 1,500-1,700 civilians live on the island.
Hopefully, this is just an example of the boy king getting the keys to the family car for the first time.
Kim Yung’Un
Kim Yung’Un needs to focus on getting Sum Yung Poon!!!
This is not about boy king but about old general who wants to be a King instead of the King. Will he get thumbs up or be executed is a question to which we won’t know the answer.
The Onion knows what’s what:
http://theonion.com/articles/kim-jongun-privately-doubting-hes-crazy-enough-to,18374/
Well we might be going back to hot in Korea.
Iraq draw down and Afghanistan draw down and now this.
Bet intel was getting the word this was coming.
Cursor_
North Korea frequently rattles its saber in order to get something. What usually ends up happening, is the Chinese step in and tells little brother to get its act straight.
China has ZERO desire in having the U.S. mobilize and potentially do another “Iraq”. Doing so would mean a reunited Korea and worst of all, a democracy in China’s backyard.
The only thing different now is China has the potential to wreak economic havoc onto the U.S. if we do something that displeases them. So they can have some real leverage that they didn’t really have before.
Then again, maybe if South Korea wasn’t provoking to begin with.
There’s a bit more to this incident, then the North shelling, for no reason, as our media would lead you to believe.
This “problem” won’t be fixed until it’s in China’s best interest. Until then we can all just pound sand.
Maybe if Obama goes and bows to Kim Yung’Un then it will all be better.
7, Yea,
The North does EXACTLY that to those in the area. The North’s ulterior motives are typically to get new demands satisfied.
The North vs. South thing is very touchy with the South due to familial ties. The North doesn’t really care. Immediate family members of those in the North who defect to the South are arrested and put into concentration camps for the rest of their lives where they’re either tortured or executed.
8, Improbus,
China sees their best interest as maintaining two Koreas. North Korea to China is nothing more than a buffer from Democracy for their own people. The moment the Chinese think the U.S. may take military action against North Korea is when China step in and tell North Korea to straighten up.
In the meantime, China intends to increase the military influence from being a regional power to a global power. I wouldn’t be surprised if the U.S. and China have a military confrontation within the next 20 to 50 years.
They may have gone too far this time. I think there will be a retaliatory strike on the artillery dug into the mountain, and it may kick off total war.
@rbitting
I think you give ours and South Korea’s politicians to much credit for courage they don’t have.
We’ll let China deal with it. N. Korea has no oir.
“Some 20 ships and submarines and 100 aircraft are to take part in four days of manoeuvres in the Sea of Japan from Sunday.”
22 July 2010
US and S. Korea
How many North Korean Cannons have Seoul South Korea within their range? Last I read, it was in the thousands.
Its a game of chicken with crazy always winning.
If I was South Korea, I’d figure out how to assassinate the leadership both Civilian and Military of North Korea until a more moderate leadership clique could take power.
Military attack from South to North would certainly bring immediate military (cannon shelling) response. So might a program of assassination but its a certainty vs a probable.
Yes, how do societies get captured by crazy? We might look to Palin and the current Pukes for our own example?
I guess some of you are forgetting we still have about 30 Thousand US troops in S Korea. That makes it OUR problem.
Bear baiting often results in the bear taking a swipe at you.
It doesn’t matter how crazy the bear is, baiting it is never a good idea.
#16
Let me correct you. There is no “pure” democracy in the world.
The only thing that North Korea understands is force. Well that and Korean.
Cursor_said:
“it will have to be smoothed over by the Chinese and the US.”
HAR! HAR! HAR!
Understand this CLEARLY. The problem isn’t North Korea, nor South Korea.
The problem is CHINA. CHINA kept Korea from being unified. CHINA continues to bolster North Korea with money, food, and manpower.
Who do you think built that brand new state of the art uranium facility? Who keeps North Korea in business? Who could stop this mess and force unification tomorrow?
CHINA.
North Korea today is the result of a proxy war between the United States and CHINA. This proxy war is ongoing.
Get with the program. The greatest threat to world peace today is CHINA.
A lot of people claim they know what will happen. I’m not. The guy running the North is a nut job.
China is an expanding power and we are in serious decline because we have gotten ourselves tied down in too many places and we have put policies in place that are economic suicide.
After we finish imploding about all we can do is what the Russians did. Bring out navy home and park it.
A clash of some sort is clearly a probability.
great… with any luck ww3 will happen in my lifetime :-\
This attack was Obama’s fault, plain & simple. Can’t wait to see how Hannity, Beck, & Limbaugh try to make it so.
China has the luxury of playing chess. They can plan policy for decades. In the US we don’t have that luxury. We are forced to shoot craps every two years. The troops in the South are a time bomb. The assets aren’t there to stop an all out attack from the North, which is practically one large military base. This would be old school war, not smart bombs. It would be a repeat of 1950.
Okay, if North Korea want nukes, why don’t we just give them a few? We can send a few via intercontinental basaltic missiles. Take about 30 minuets to get there. Eat your heart out FedEx and UPS! :p
Agree the issue is China. North Korea and Taiwan will be the next big issue.
Today’s top issue is America likes to suck on the oil tit from Saudi Arabia. ALL of the middle east issues, terrorism, etc comes from this.
Tomorrow, the issue is China – a result of American companies empowering China with technology and manufacturing, thanks to Republicans.
Some day the American sheeple will realize the bargain shit from Walmart not only costs them jobs today, it will cost us another war tomorrow.
Thank you Dallas, I mostly agree with your comment above except for the pretty stupid “thanks to Republicans part”. A little insanity goes a long way, doesn’t it?
Here is the truth:
“President Clinton will close years of political and economic debate Tuesday and seal a major achievement of his administration by signing off on normalized trade with China.”
Yes, this mess started with Clinton and is continuing with Obama.
“But critics argued that such an agreement would reward a repressive communist state, undermine the country’s labor and environmental protections and cost jobs for U.S. workers.”
Yup, exactly what happened.
“Clinton argued that bringing China into the global trade regime will help make Beijing a more responsible and accountable member of the world community.”
HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR.
http://articles.cnn.com/2000-10-10/politics/clinton.pntr_1_wto-membership-china-global-trade-regime?_s=PM:ALLPOLITICS
May the HOLY fallout bless the people of NK this holiday season.